Fire Awakens Darkness
by BlackRose108
Summary: after aang once again runs away katara finds herself with what might be the last hope for the fire nation ruled world aang left behind. but no one said it was going to be easy. KataraAangAzula triangle-story closed.
1. prologue

**Well hello my fellow readers this story I've been working on since the beginning of the summer and finally have all the kinks worked out for me to start this takes place some where in the middle of season three. I'm not sure how good this turned out but here it is for your reading pleasure……. ****Fire Awakens Darkness!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own avatar, but I do own this plot line so if ya steal it I'll hunt you down like a hawk. (insert evil laugh and scary thriller music here)**

Prologue: The Fountain of Youth

The gang arrived at an old yet small town at the bank of what seemed to be an endless lake.

"The water seems so……." Katara tried to explain while chewing on her lower lip.

"Hypnotizing" Aang finished her sentence, just as fascinated with the water as she was.

"Eh, I've seen weirder" Sokka concluded obviously fed up with the conversation but by then Aang and Katara where off in their own worlds feeling as if the water was drawing them in some how, on Appa's back. The town was called "mirage" which actually didn't fit the town at all. It was old, abandon, and the only sole livers left had only a few years left in them but, still, it was somewhere to rest and find food.

"why hello little ones" and old woman greeted as the gaang entered the town.

"hello, um we're just looking for some food and a place to stay for the night" aang informed her, she just gently nodded her head and lead them to the nearest available sleeping area.

"Not a lot of people come here so you'll have plenty of room, just make yourselves at home and your welcome to the market for dinner" the woman instructed pin pointing every area she had named, and with that she left.

"Well I don't know about you guys but in turnin' in early because sokka's whole 'wake up early to save time' thing is draining me" Toph finally spoke for seemed to be the first time in days. Following Toph's lead the four slowly began to prepare themselves for bed. Sokka, Toph and Katara feel asleep almost instantly but Aang on the other hand lied awake in bed. The lake seemed more like an ocean to him, he could hear the waves breaking against the shore. But not in a regular tone, it was like a charming sound than normal persons perspective of 'waves breaking against the shore'. With all this going on aang was still bewildered with the lake itself. He had already locked the thought in his head that Katara was interested because of her water bending nature but for him it seemed more in the spiritual category. He was drawn to it. It called to him, and slowly without warning he slowly and quietly made his way toward the lake making sure not to wake anyone in the process.

It seemed they stayed there longer than planed, which of course was driving Sokka crazy, but the group insisted on relaxing. In these days Aang would spend his time by the lake, watching the water clash and leave, and clash and leave. Simply amazed by it. By now he'd come to the conclusion that this water was special like the water oasis at the North Pole but it was a more "come in" call than a spiritual bridge. In fact he was actually leaning toward the thought that this connection wasn't even spiritual, it was more of a premonition.

"Aang" a familiar voice called out. As Katara approached the distant airbender. "You missed breakfast…..and lunch," she babbled until she noticed the fact Aang was barely listening. "Aang" she called once more, but with slightly more power. Finally he turned his head.

"What?" He spewed, quietly, but with and annoyed undertone.

"What's with you and this lake anyway?" She questioned, "all you do is wake up and sit and stare at it all day"

"So?" He simply replied half listening and half gazing. Katara sighed and took a sitting position next to him, making easier for her to the message across to him.

"You wanna go in don't you?" She finally asked after a few moments of awkward silence. Aang just stared at her amazed as if she was literally reading his mind and just shook his head in response. "Well than…" she trailed off when she heard the footsteps of Unchilee, the old woman who greeted them.

"Well I see you've taken an interest in the water?" she stated "they say only a wise man can appreciate this waters"

"Really why?" aang eagerly asked.

"Well don't ya know what you're starin' at?" she yelled knowing they had no idea. "This is the fountain of youth!" Unchilee continued. Aang and Katara where shocked, and took a minuet to observe the woman. She was old, of course, you could tell by her light gray hair and thin as a twig body. But her skin surprisingly had not a wrinkle in sight.

"Did you go into the water than?" Katara asked.

"Is it obvious?" Unchilee laughed. "Ah yes I remember when I first came to this town it all seemed so big now it's just a withered memory, like myself." Bewildered both Aang and Katara decided to leave her with her memories (which obviously she had a lot of). But as they began to exit the lakeside Unchilee called out to them.

"Don't go in the fountain of youth!" she warned "for the age in which you go is which you stay!" Both benders stopped at her words and turned to her to see her face was dead serious. "It defines time, ya know, so you can travel time through it as well. But be wise because there's no forward and no backwards…..just now…..but if you ever do become lost in it you will drift, out of sight out of mind, until the sands of time bring you back to existence." It was a rather vague and poetic speech, one Katara was completely baffled by, and one aang couldn't stop thinking about for the remainder of the day.

Unchilee's words ran through Aang's mind like a hurricane. It seemed so stupid to obsess over some old as dirt lake but he couldn't get it out of his mind. He buried his face in the pillow of the couch he was laying on as the rest of his peers began to prepare for supper.

"What you like for dinner aang?" Katara asked, imagining how hungry he must be from not eating all day.

"It doesn't matter," he mumbled in the pillow.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong anytime soon?" Katara questioned, placing her hands firmly on her hips.

"It's just about what Unchilee said" aang explained, not yet meeting her gaze. "About how you could travel through time in that water, well I might be able to use that to my advantage."

"How?" Toph asked jumping into the private conversation.

"Come Toph use your head" Sokka's jumped in as well. "If Aang can travel through time in that water he might be able to go back in time and stop the war from happening."

"Aang, that's a major choice your making I think you might want to think this through" Katara acknowledged.

"What for?" Toph snipped.

"Well think of all the things that have happened because of the war," the waterbender explained. "All those little details that have a really big impact one us that we never paid attention to might all be undone, even meeting you Aang."

"Maybe you should think this through" Sokka added.

"That's a risk I'm going to have to take if I want any hope of winning this war now, I mean I haven't even started learning firebending yet! How do you expect me to win the war this way? I have to take every easy opportunity that comes my way!" he was breathing heavily now as he scanned the room for anyone to back him up but all he got were wide eyes. No one knew how to respond and just let him drift slowly out of the room.

"Let him cool off" Sokka ordered pulling Katara away when she went to go comfort him, Sokka knew it would only make matters worse.

"Guys dinner is ready!" Katara yelled putting down a bowl of stew. Everyone gathered around the table, all but one at least.

"I guess Aang's still sore about what happened today" Toph guessed.

"Sokka I think now I should go talk to him he's been in there way too long" the waterbender sighed getting up form her place at the table. Down the long hallway she walked, breathing heavy and short. She was always somewhat nervous to talk to Aang whenever he was in one of his "moods" but still certain things had to be done.

"They've been in there a long time" Sokka mentioned as he and Toph took away the dirty dishes

"Oh, you know them the most likely just-" Toph realized Sokka had already headed down the hallway in her mid-sentence. The warrior was about the break open the door when reached but realized it was already open only containing a crying Katara and a crinkled note in her hand.

"Katara what's wrong?" the concerned brother asked.

"S-Sokka," Katara sobbed, "A-Aang's gone"

"What!"

"He left a note this time" she mentioned referring to the last time he ran away without a simple notice. She handed Sokka the note.

_My dearest friends,_

_I'm sorry I had to leave you again like this but this was too big an opportunity to let pass by……………_

The young avatar floated helplessly in the water. He knew where he was going just no possible idea how to get there.

………_...I know the risk I'm taking by going alone, and I know how much could change if I do this. But I have no way to win the war in the condition I'm in and I'm willing to try anything. I just want you all to know that I love you all differently, but equally…………_

Aang was well aware of what could happen to him he remembered Unchilee's words about the lake very well, in fact he hadn't forgotten them ever since they where said, it was almost like a haunting to him now. He had no need to breath, no need to swim, he just floated, and suddenly in the midst of his floating he felt different as if something where taken away from him. His eyes closed as he drifted to where he hoped was his destination.

…………_don't worry we'll meet again. But in a better place, a better world. I promise._

_Love Aang._

A year passed, and as expected no Aang. A world without the avatar was nothing but dreadful. Many people believed the avatar was still dead from what Azula had done, there it was only a matter of time when what the fire nation had been plotting to do for so long took force. Lives and homes alike were destroyed, and no ones hope returned. But then on a fateful day a boy washed up on the beach. His long black hair draped over his face as he took his first gasp of air. The beach was deserted not even a crab or two, only one little girl who walked the beach alone landed he eyes one the motionless boy. There she sat watching him wake but finally his eyes opened and with another gasp he looked at the mysterious tiny girl's wide eyes starring at him. He was confused of course to be greeted by such a small child (she must've been only two). The pair just stared in awkward silence until the little girl built up the courage and extended her tiny arm out towards him to be the first to say-

"Hello."

** blackrose's note: Well I hope it's not too short but that's the prologue, has it got you interested? If it did I'll continue but I need to know so jus hit the nice review button on your way out if you wanna read the next chapter: the water witch. Oh and if you're a little confused don't worry the story will even out, promise. plus parings may be subject to change.**

**-Blackrose **


	2. the water witch

**All right sorry it took sooooooooooooooooooo long but hey you know how school is right? (Especially when your taking high school classes in the 8****th**** grade) so yeah let me not rant on about my school life and get with the life of……um….the people….in…the story (yeah that's it) **

**Disclaimer: why do I always have to say I don't own avatar……it's embarrassing.**

Chapter one: the water witch 

_1 ½ years later……………_

She rode into the night, all nights looked the same to her now. The winter cold air that never got warmer, the dark starless, moonless sky. Plus always the same result to her search, nothing. It was around the end of the day (you could never tell now a days unless you where fortunate enough to have a clock) she could tell for the sky that had been a dark blue had turned to black, so she decided to stop at a bar. After stabilizing Sun Dancer (her griffin) she made her way into the bar.

"Gimme a rice wine please" she ordered softly, dropping two copper pieces on the counter.

"Hey I've heard of you, you're the water witch aren't you?" the bar attendant asked.

"Can I just have my wine?" she snapped and the attendant went off to prepare it. She always hated it when people called her "the water witch" but the name had began to grow on her. Still she always preferred to be called by her real name, Katara. But she knew how risky _that_ was. Being a wanted woman of the fire nation, the only one of her nation not captured, she couldn't say it didn't change her. It became too risky for her so she was forced to wear all black, dye her hair black as well to hide her nationality. For almost two years she'd been hiding she was searching for the one that got away, for Aang. He hadn't come back since he went in the water that day. Many still thought he was dead from the catacombs, obviously the fire nation didn't take the window of chance to lightly and let one last deadly strike to finish the war when Sozin's comet came back. But Katara still hoped Aang was alive, all she had to do was find him.

"Here's your wine," the attendant suddenly said breaking Katara thoughts. "Have a nice day."

Every spot in the bar seemed to be filled that night, every table, chair, stair and corner where all taken. Still to Katara's luck and her title of the water witch she managed to get a tight squeeze into a corner next and boy and a younger girl, who defiantly looked too young to be in a 16 or older bar.

"Hey kid aren't you a little too young to be in this bar?" Katara spewed.

"Actually I'm almost 15" the boy answered.

"Yeah well this is a 16 or older bar how'd you get in?" Katara asked again.

"Azula owns this bar," he suddenly mentioned.

"So! What does that have to do with anyt…?"

"Hey lady! leave my daddy alone, we don't talk to strangers?" a small child screamed from beside him.

"And who's this?" Katara hissed "you daughter? What did ya girlfriend walk out on you?"

"She's not _my_ daughter," he made clear.

"Oh really" Katara snickered lightly "so what's you name kid?"

"It's aang" the boy responded taking off his hood.

"Aa-aang is it' really you? I-it's me Katara"

"Who?" aang asked puzzled.

"What do ya mean who!?" Katara snipped "Aang I'm Katara from three years ago…oh you don't know how long I've been-"

"Hey listen! Me and my daddy don't know who you are, and for the last time we don't talk to strangers!" The young girl repeated taking a stand on her small feet.

"You'll have to excuse Nana" Aang apologized. "But I really don't know who you are" aang stood as well and took Nana's hand.

"But aang you have to understand" Katara begged.

"I'm sorry but you have to wrong guy, I….I hope you find who your looking for, come on Nana." Aang and Nana began to head for the door but Katara wouldn't give up without a fight.

"Aang! Wait please" Katara knew it was him, she had never been more sure of anything in her life. As for aang he knew she wouldn't give up so at least decided to hear her out. "Please, I've been searching for you for so long just please" she pleaded a tear beginning to form in her eye. Aang's eyes widened at the sight of a girl he'd never even met balling over him. Something inside him began to rise within him and made him walk up and dry her tear.

"You have one day, one day and one day only to explain all this stuff your talking about." Aang finally agreed firmly.

"Daddy" Nana tugged at his pants.

"It's okay Nana" aang assured her.

"Fine I'll go with it but I won't like it" Nana answered sourly.

"Good girl now go put on your coat," he ordered. "Let's go!" he announced turning to Katara. She quickly put o her coat as well and made sure she was one step behind Aang and Nana.

Since Aang and Nana walked everywhere Katara thought to follow their lead and walk Sun Dancer behind them. There was a very long period of awkward silence between the three. So Katara took this time to observe the new Aang. His raven black hair that was once short was now almost shoulder length, and his split bangs covered everything but the middle of his head that was cover by the same ol' headband. She scaled her eyes down his body and rested them on Nana; she was clinging to his leg as he walked. _He said she wasn't his daughter,_ Katara thought, _so why do have this weird feeling in my stomach? _Her thoughts where quickly stopped thought when aang pulled out a bow and arrow.

"This looks like a good spot" he finally said aiming at the top of a tree. He released the arrow letting it glide through the leafs catching fruit on the way and finally stopping on the trunk of a tree. Nana ran to the arrow and began eating the fruit while and just smiled patting her lightly on the head. Katara smiled at the pair, she always knew Aang would be a good father, especially after what happen back at their second visit to omashu all those years ago…………………

_It was right after they learned how to get king Bumi back; Aang was still up feeding the fire while everyone slept. Of course though Tom Tom began crying while a tired Katara attended to him, but he wouldn't settle._

_"Come on baby please settle down" Katara begged obviously exhausted taking a seat next to aang. "He just won't settle down" she informed him rocking Tom Tom._

_"Here let me see if I can help" Aang offered taking Tom Tom from Katara hands. He began slowly rocking back and worth as well humming a soothing tune Katara often heard him play on his flute. And almost in no time at all the baby was asleep._

_"Aang that's………" Katara suddenly soften her tone afraid to wake the baby again. "Thank you" she whispered. She began to take him way but he winced forcing Katara to lay him back to Aang's chest._

_"Looks like I'm stuck with him" Aang joked and continued humming. Katara smiled at aang lightly as he hummed and huddled closer to him while taking the babies small hand in hers. Aang returned the warm smile and the trio in no time at all where all asleep. The thought of Aang raising new air benders in the world still fresh in Katara's mind_.

Katara hadn't thought of that moment in awhile but it was thoughts like that, that brought those wonderful memories back, memories she wished to have once again.

"Da-daddy stop th-that tickles," Nana laughed as Aang playfully tickled her. They look so perfect together, Katara thought once more but found herself felling sad. Aang had lived a completely different life in those 2 ½ years. He had started another family without her.

"Here" Aang suddenly said handing Katara a plum.

"Thank you" Katara whispered taking it slowly. She had completely lost herself that moment in his eyes as she looked at him.

"Something wrong" Aang questioned sounding somewhat annoyed.

"Huh" Katara snapped back to reality "oh um no I'm just…er…..thank you" she mumbled on taking nibbles of her plum. Aang gave her a look of confusion but son attended to Nana.

"So where are we gona sleep tonight?" Nana asked.

"I don't know I'll se what I can find in the mean time you two can stay here" Aang stated.

"Her but daddy!"

"Nana" Aang said firmly

"Yes daddy" she young one sighed as Aang left. Katara on the other smiled at Nana as an attempt to at least be nice but Nana returned it with a shrug and a cold shoulder.

"Umm hey Nana" Katara finally blurted out in the mist of silence.

"Okay lets just get one thing strait," Nana firmly stated. "Me and my daddy have a very good system going for us here and we don't need some dinky dressed in black blast from the past to screw it up so just stay out of my territory."

Whoa red light, Katara screamed in her mind. She hadn't even said tow words to the girl and she already hates her, this day was not going well for Katara. But finally Aang came back and Nana's sweet exterior returned.

"Welp I found a place for us to stay, I found a barn down in a clearing" he explained as the trio made their way to his chosen resting area.

Aang and Nana made their ways inside the barn as Katara attended to Sun Dancer, but once finished just nervously stood in the doorway.

"Either you wanna freeze to death or your afraid to sleep with strangers" Aang walked up to her. The water bender slowly and quietly made her way inside only by Aang's lead.

"Good night daddy" Nana said yawning.

"Good night Nana" Aang returned and soundly kissed her forehead. Of course Katara couldn't help but giggle she found it quite obvious Aang had no idea what lied under Nana's sweet exterior, but oddly the two did match. Although Aang's features where defiantly different form Nana's dark skin and puffy black hair but still a match they were. As soon as Aang was sure Nana was asleep he ripped of his headband reveling his blue arrow still in place.

"Your air bending arrow" Katara mentioned trying to hold in her excitement.

"Yeah weird huh?" he answered moving towards her. "I never understood this thing."

"What do you mean it marks you as a master airbender silly." Katara joked.

"I know what it mean" Aang somewhat snapped. "I just don't know why I have it, I can't bend. Katara head went downcast. She knew everyone who was a bender was affected by what happened but she didn't think it would affect the avatar too.

"You too huh?" she mumbled. Knowing the conversation they were having would only get more awkward she laid on her bed roll slowly "good night Aang"

"Good night…uh… good night." Aang returned to saying and went to his resting place. Katara thought was almost in tears he didn't even remember my name. But there was still hope, tomorrow. The one day aang had given her to explain everything, a day she wouldn't take lightly. So for the remainder of the night instead of dreaming of the moment her and Aang finally reunited she planned out how she was going to explain all the mess that happened in those 2 ½ long years.

**Blackrose's note****: Welp there you have it the first real chapter (the first chapter –the fountain of youth- was really the prologue), and I know your still confused I'm sorry but everything will be all clear in chapter three…..for the most part. so quick summery without giving everything away: Aang's still missing (but could this boy katara mets really be Aang?) and Katara's looking for him, the fire nations completely taken over the world and captured all the water tribe members except for katara so now the whole FN'S after her. As for the no one being able to bend thing you'll have to wait for that in chapter 3 (evil laugh) whew. now the next chapter my friends...get ready for an Aang chapter? Nope. A Sokka chapter? Nope. An Azula chapter? Bingo. So see what Azula's up to in the next chapter: ****positives and negatives**** R'n'R **

**-Blackrose108**


	3. positives and negatives

Woo hoo chapter two! Uhhh I really don't know what to say in my note so yeah on with the story.

**Disclaimer: me no own avatar.**

Chapter two: positives and negatives. 

"Princess Azula, he'll see you know" the nurse said softly bowing in her honor. Azula just stood there casually walking inside the doors signaling the nurse to stop bowing.

"Why princess" the doctor said. "I got your message about you problem….are…you positive?"

"I'm not sure, I've been having the symptoms for a while now and…" Azula trailed off not able to finish her sentence.

"Princess Azula if you not sure we don't have to do this" the doctor suggested.

"No!" Azula yelled. She ad to do this, after all she was princess she could do anything. Even a simple test.

"Then you'll have to take the test."

Seconds felt like hours and minutes felt like days. But finally footsteps came through the door and the doctor entered with a deathly serious look on his face.

"Well?" Azula asked impatiently.

"It's positive," the doctor answered not breaking eye contact. Azula almost hit the floor. Could this be happening to her? "Have you uh-had sex princess?" the doctor continued with a very obvious question. But Azula didn't want to answer that, it was personal and besides she had only done it once.

"Once" she answered dryly "but I thought I was being careful and I didn't even mean for it to go that far I-I just" the princess took a moment to catch her breath she was getting light headed.

"Princess I'd like you to come back in a week or two to get some exams done, ya know to check on the baby," the doctor announced. The baby, Azula thought. The thought just struck her that this was real. She clutched her stomach and groaned something was living inside her, something that wasn't hers. It was his. Azula thought how he would take this news, the father, but he wasn't a very off the wall person hopefully he'd understand.

"I guess I'll be going" the princess exited. On the other hand, she thought, Ty lee's not going to take this well.

"YOU WHAT?!" Ty Lee screamed, Azula covering her ears. Ty Lee was normally a quiet person but with big news like this she exploded. "Azula how? Why would you go off and do something so…..so…stupid?!" Azula couldn't help but snicker a little. It was usually her who would yell at Ty Lee not the other way around.

"I know" Azula said dryly, not making eye contact.

"Ya know" Ty Lee continued. "It's not me you should really be worried about, it's your father. I mean how's he gona react when he finds out you got pregnant by the a-"

"I know I know!" Azula yelled cutting her friend off. " Just let me handle this okay"

"Fine" Ty Lee agreed, "I just hope he takes this alright, I mean you being pregnant by _him_. Plus you already kinda have a child what if leaves you?"

"He won't leave" Azula assured her, that much she was positive.

During the course of the next few weeks Azula nervously awaited the day when he'd come back. Him and Azula hand been "dating" for quiet some time almost a year. It funny how what stared out as a plan to rule turned out to be the greatest thing that ever happened to her. She took them in, but she hated the fact that she always had to leave. Thought her boyfriend was almost a man he had the mind of well a very young child, mainly because of his little issue that after awhile wasn't just an advantage to Azula but a cover up for herself. She could be anything she wanted with him, to some extent at least. But as usual there was a world to rule, and Azula was in charge of a good third of it. After the fire nation fully took over the Fire Lord divided up the world into thirds. One for the Fire Lord, one for Zuko and his new wife Mai and one for Azula. So she had to leave often and the most recent time her boyfriend decided to see the world a little and would meet her in her place of business a few months later.

But now it would only be a matter of days before Azula saw him again, so he could hold her in his arms, and so she could tell him that he was now a father.

**Blackrose's note****: (gasp) Azula's pregnant! I wonder who the daddy is? Oh and yeah I know really short chapter but first of all I'm sick, second of all, all I can think about is the third chapter, and third of all If I made it longer it would've gave away to much. And we can't have that can we? So next chapter is the one we've all been waiting for the one that explains almost everything that confuses you! Woot! Next up: ****what lies within years (pt.1)**


	4. what lies within years pt1

Well this week was a total hell but I decided I'd update this since I haven't since like forever ago so here it is, sorry for the lateness. But get ready for a long chapter.

**Disclaimer: I don't own avatar**

Chapter 3: what lies within years (part one)

Katara awoke that morning like any other. Even with her attempt to dream up a way to explain all this madness to Aang last night she still couldn't grasp the concept so she dreamed of what she always dreamed about when she couldn't sleep: those dreadful first days after Aang left…….

"_Katara I don't think Aang's coming back today" Sokka said softly and placing a light hand on his sister's shoulders. Katara had been standing by the lakeside everyday all day since aang left, waiting for him. She glanced up at the note aang had wrote which had weirdly stayed in her hands since she found it._

"_But he said he'd…" Katara whispered. But Sokka cut her off._

"_Katara don't," he argued firmly._

"…_Come back" she continued a crack in her voice. She was obviously once again near tears. _

"_Katara come on no more crying" he tried calming her. "You've done nothing but cry this whole time Aang'll be back you know he's coming why else would he leave a note?"_

"_O-okay" she sniffed, wiping any oncoming tears from her eyes and smiled at her brother. Well he was trying, she thought._

_But of course he never did come back…………_

……Katara tried to shake the thought from her head. Why did she always have to go there? Just then Aang stirred.

"Morning Katara" he said almost cheerfully. _Yes! He remembered my name! _Katara rejoiced quietly to herself.

"Morning" she replied. "You always this happy in the morning?"

"Just about" he smiled at her. "New days, and you finally might be able to help me with all my confusion about things," he turned toward the still darkness of the morning sky through the partly opened door. "It's a new day"

Katara smiled. _Well at least one thing hasn't changed._

After waking up Nana, washing up and getting dressed it was finally time for breakfast. The part Katara had been dreading all morning. It stared out silent at first, they just sat eating the left over fruit Aang had found yesterday, this Katara found rather annoying. She finally sighed and placed the rest of the apple in her mouth.

"2 ½ years" she oddly said breaking the silence. Aang and Nana turning to her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nana hissed. Katara sipped some water and continued.

"That's how long you've been gone Aang" she saw Aang's eye grow wide.

"That's weird," he finally said, "I only remember the last year and a half of my life."

"Then I guess we'll start with when you left," Katara offered, thinking of how weird this conversation had just started out. She inhaled deeply before string knowing it would take all her breath away before exhaling and starting. "You left a note, it wasn't long but it told us everything we need to know." Katara paused for a moment "and by we I mean me, our friend toph, and my brother Sokka we were all traveling together." Aang nodded. "Well you told us you were going to go in this water that could travel back in time or some nonsense- I'm not sure if I even believe in that anymore- and you left without telling us so ummm" she felt a lighted headed feeling knowing the hard part of the conversation was on it's way. "You….uh…well you never came back."

Aang's eyes went wider. Katara could see a mesh of pain and confusion on his face.

"What do you mean I never came back?" he asked sounding if he would break down any second.

"You went in the water and never came back," Katara whispered. "And then after that the world just fell apart"

"What mean fell apart?" Nana jumped in the conversation. Katara shook her head not wanting to continue but knew it had to be done.

"The fire nation" she continued. "The fire nation they, they just….I guess since to the world you were still dead they had been planning it but…..they just took over everything" Katara couldn't help it and burst into tears. Aang laid a calming hand on her shoulder, and just like the bar it was against his own will.

"Katara" he whispered "please tell the rest I know it hard but please I want to…need to know this." Katara huffed and locked her eyes with his. He was so different up close form his emotionless look he had been sporting this last day. His gray eyes still the same: wide and full of emotion, and his reassuring smile always striving her to go past he own limits. She had even taken a liking to his longer hair which now touched her cheek lightly, and finally up at his arrow plastered there on his fore head. It was Aang. She was 100 sure now.

"Okay" she sniffed one lasted time, as Aang removed his arm from her. Surprising she missed the warmth but kept going. "It all happened like this………."

**-flashback-**

_Katara, Sokka, and toph knew it was too risky to stay in one place for too long so after a long altercation with Katara they finally were able to leave the town of mirage._

"_Sokka" Katara complained. "Where are we supposed to go now? I mean all our travels revolved around Aang's avatar duties so…"_

"_Katara I know what I'm doing okay!" Sokka hissed. He was generally tired of Katara's complaining. He wished Aang were there at least he would keep her quiet._

"_Ya know Katara we should've just left you back at mirage" Toph joked bitterly._

"_Maybe you should've" Katara replied crossing her arms over her chest. "What if Aang comes back we won't be there plus we took Appa!"_

"_Don't worry I left a note of where we were headed" Sokka assured._

"_Oh really well please kindly tell me where we're going since everyone seems to have a clue but me!" the water bender yelled._

"_The northern water tribe" Sokka grinned._

"_When are you guys ever gona go home?" Toph teased._

"_Well in a way we are dad sent me a message a while back saying Gran gran is visiting there, it seemed like a good Idea at the time" Sokka informed._

"_I guess so," Katara mumbled._

_----A few weeks later----_

"_Here ya go toph" Katara announced handing toph a new green parka she had been preparing, even though it was summer it never really got warm in the water tribes. Katara and Sokka had resorted back to their old parkas since Katara found no reason to make new ones._

"_Thanks," Toph said, slipping it over her head and wrapping some heavy cloth over her feet. "So how much father till we get there?"_

"_Hmmm" Sokka said examining his map "I'd say well just about a few more……"_

"_There it is" Katara interrupted pointing over Appa's saddle._

_The teens slowly approached the ice city till they noticed all they saw was a huge pile of broken ice. While thick black smoke could be seen as they got closer and screams of pain and terror could be heard in the distance. _

"_What is all that noise?" Toph asked_

"_What's all that smoke?" Sokka asked as well._

"_Oh no" Katara finished. _

_Not bothering to land they flew over the remains of the tribe and found moaning, some even half dead, people everywhere. Which reminded Katara and Sokka of the aftermath of the first attack on the north._

"_What happened?" Sokka asked, flabbergasted by the scene. Katara peeked over to see a fire nation flag where she remembered the spirit oasis to be. _

"_Fire nation" she explained bitterly. She should have known they would come back. "But I wonder why they're over by the spirit oasis?"_

"_Whatever the reason it can't be good" Sokka added._

"_Guys shut up and watch your backs fire benders could be anywhere" Toph whispered loudly. But slowly as the group approached the oasis they realized they were all jumping in the water._

"_What the……" Sokka trailed off "what are they……?"_

"_Their going into the spirit world!" Katara yelled._

"_What? No, humans can't do that" Toph informed._

"_Oh yes they can" Katara explained, "How do you think avatar Kurunk's wife disappeared?" _

"_Well what do we………" but before Sokka could finish his question Katara was already to fight and was off Appa. "Katara come back," Sokka ordered. But Katara ignored his warning._

"_Hey, fire benders!" Katara playfully sang. Of course some fire benders turned their heads and others kept on task, but when it all came down Katara was outnumbered seven to one._

"_Is she crazy?" Sokka asked Toph._

"_Yep" she shortly answered and pulled Sokka down to join the fight……………………_

**-end flash back-**

"So….." Aang asked eagerly, obviously wrapped up in the moment like a little kid at story time.

"So……." Katara trailed. "Well isn't it obvious?"

"Nope" Nana answered for him, sipping her tea. Katara sighed deeply once more before continuing, she knew she wouldn't be able to avoid this part.

"So….we lost!" she started. "We lost and they captured us along with every other water tribe member!"

"What about the southern tribe?" Nana all knowingly asked.

"They had already gotten them before they came to the northern tribe"

"So how are you hear then shouldn't you be with the other water tribe members?" Aang asked.

"Well I…….I got out I escaped, Sokka told me to find help, to find you Aang" Aang's eyes widened. "So that what I did, I knew it'd be easy as long as I had my water bending but then something else happened……………

**-flash back-**

"_Go Katara go!" Sokka yelled urging his sister at the correct time to flee._

"_But Sokka I don't want to leave you what if…"_

"_Katara only one of us can go, it should be you go get help go fix this!" Sokka yelled._

"_Katara go" Hakoda ordered softly to his daughter. The one good thing about all the water tribe members being captured was the reunions. He placed a hand on her shoulder._

"_But…"_

"_Go!" everyone yelled in chorus. Eventually she left turning one last time to look upon her family. _

"_I'll find help I promise," she whispered to herself. She was, of course, sad but in way relieved that stuffy prison was unbearable and she hadn't water bended in weeks. But when finally out in what she swore was the early afternoon she found it to be nightly dark. There was no moon in the sky and no sun just dark blue clouds in a pitch-black sky. _

_Katara made her way through a nearby town that day searching for a free market to get some new clothes--her prison rags where a bit itchy--but everyone seemed to be in a state of normalcy even due to the awkward state of the sky._

"_Um excuse me," Katara acknowledged a sales man. "I know I probably sound weird but why is the sky like this?" _

"_Like what?" the sales man happily asked, as if nothing was wrong._

"_Well it's only the afternoon, it shouldn't be dark till nighttime right?"_

"_What?" the sales man laughed. "No my dear it's like this" he pointed towards the sky "all day every day"_

"_But…… why what- what happened?" she suddenly felt alone and helpless. The sales man looked into Katara sad, confused expression and realized she wasn't kidding. _

"_I guess your not kidding," he said, Katara nodded in response. "Well, lets see it was the fire nation" what a surprise, Katara thought. "They had just invaded the northern water tribe again and they found out what the spirit oasis could actually do, so they jumped inside" Katara eyes widened. "Then they got into the spirit world, there was a war in there for days but of course the fire nation won, as always, and well………"_

"_Destroyed everything" Katara caught on._

"_Right" he answered. "And with all spirits destroyed then no sun no moon so just darkness." The word 'darkness' rang through Katara's head. Was the spirit world really gone? "It's shocking I know, but as impossible as it seems you'll get used to it, I just feel sorry for all those benders," the sales man added. _

"_Uhh" Katara let out uneasy on what to say. She found it stupid now to mention the fact that she was a bender. " Do you uh……have any food and fresh clothes?" she kept to her quest. The sales man smiled and handed her a bag of feed, and a clean dress. "Thank you"_

"_Your welcome and don't worry, you'll get used to it" the sales man assured, and Katara was off. _

_She had found a small abandoned wood to sleep in, she wasn't sure if it was night yet but she was tired. Then she heard a crack in the woods. Katara gasped to soon find a small griffin in her presence. _

"_Wow" Katara gazed. "I never thought I'd see one of you" the griffin was small and wasn't a treat, at least not yet. But it did look thirsty. "Here let me get you some water," the water bender offered. She began to do a movement for bending some water from the near by stream but found no water followed her movements. What could be happening? Katara thought until suddenly the sales man's words rang in her head. _

"………_I just feel sorry for all those benders" _

_No._

_Not her bending, anything but that…………………_

_**-**_**end flashback-**

"I couldn't bend anymore," Katara explained.

"Why not" Nana asked, actually sounding concerned.

"Well when the fire nation destroyed the spirit all the spirits of bending, and the elements just died, all the spirits did." Katara found it harder and harder to hold back sobs. "So I continued to try and find you Aang, you were my last hope, the worlds last hope. I found it more hard to walk about thought I couldn't risk being captured by the fire nation again so I wore all black, dyed my hair black and I guess some where along the way for one reason or another the people who knew I was out there called me 'the water witch' I guess I wanted to find you so bad I really did become the water witch"

"That can't be true!" Aang hissed. " I mean sure the fire nation rules but they would never do anything like that would they?" Katara thoughts of that being the real Aang evaporated again.

"Aang look around, look at what they done to the world! Don't you even know what they done to you?"

"What about me!" Aang yelled once more. "All I remember of my whole life is from two years ago! That's it!"

"Then what happened to you Aang?" Katara asked. Hurt and pain heavy in her tone.

"Well the first thing I remember is water…….water and then something being taken away like a heavy burden, like it died, or like a part of me died……………."

**Blackrose's note: ****ha ha cliffhanger! Well now I hope Katara's part of the story and any other confusion is about halfway cleared Aang's story is up next but I have to warn ya it's a shocker. I expect it to be equally long, and it'll be here sooner promise I have a lot of more free time since my youth orchestra went on winter break. So next up: ****what lies within years pt.2**


	5. what lies within years pt2

**Disclaimer: I don't own avatar, it just wasn't meant to be :( **

Chapter 4: what lies within years pt. 2

"Then what happened to you Aang?" Katara asked hurt and pain heavy in her tone.

"The first thing I remember is water ………water and something being taken away like a heavy burden, like it died, or like part of me died……………." Aang started. "The rest of what the water was about escapes me but I do remember Komaku beach it was where I washed up on then I met Nana."

"So let me get this strait," Katara interrupted. "You were floating in water for how knows how long and then you washed up on a beach with absolutely no idea how you got there or anything about your life before hand?"

"Pretty much" Aang mumbled sipping his tea again. "Sometimes when I used to asked people if the knew me some said that the water just gave birth to me, some said I was a very lucky ship wreak survivor with memory loss, and others just said I was the spirit of the dead avatar coming back to haunt everyone. Although I'm pretty sure I'm no spirit" he laughed, and Katara smiled thinking he was about to tell her some good news about his life. But then out of the blue he frowned. "I felt completely lost," he continued. "Like no one could help or no one even wanted to. But something deep down in me told me one day I would find someone who would help me find my past and discover my future and I did"

"Oh, Aang" Katara sighed in relief thinking she finally got through to him. "You really think I can help you?" Aang blinked a few times as if to process what she was saying, then looked downward.

"Well, um, it wasn't you I was talking about" he whispered, and Katara froze a blush creeping across her cheeks in embarrassment. Nana chuckled.

"Of course he doesn't mean you stupid," Nana hissed. "He means the royal family."

"The-the royal family?" Katara pondered. "You can't possibly mean the fire nation!"

"Yep" Nana added. "They took us in off the streets and gave us a home"

"They couldn't have possibly" Katara objected. "The fire nation just doesn't take stray poor kids off the streets like that, they must've had a motive!"

"There was no motive!" Aang yelled standing up. "The fire is kind and are great rulers, without them I wouldn't even be alive!"

"Well it is the least they could do after they killed you once in Ba Sing Se!" Katara stood as well.

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Katara paused. Aang had never gotten so mad at her to curse—even though 'hell' wasn't the worst word in the line up--it just wasn't him. She breathed heavily and quietly sat back down attempting to finish her breakfast as if nothing went wrong. But Aang stormed out of the shed and took refuge under the young oak tree near their current resting place. Nana shook her head and noticed the state of hurt and shock Katara was in.

"Don't get all bent outta shape about it" the young girl attempted to calm down Katara. "He's such a drama king, he always does this every once in a while, though the swearing is new."

"He's lost isn't he?" Katara whispered.

"Yeah" Nana agreed. "We've all gone through hard times," she added. "My parents died when I wasn't even three yet, I had just learned to walk properly too (it took her a while) so I just walked and walked and walked until I got to this beach and saw a boy washed up on the sand and I needed someone so he took me under his wing of course we still struggled but it was the closest thing to family I felt I was ever gonna get again."

"Pardon me asking but how did you parents die?" the water witch asked.

"Fire nation" Nana answered casually.

"Then why….?" Katara raised her voice a bit but Nana stopped her.

"Hey when someone treats you as good as they treated us you'd go with anyone."

"Where I come form it's called selling your self short" Katara hissed.

"Yeah well where I come from it's called living!" Nana returned the evil tone. "You should try it some time. In stead of chasing your little blast from the past" the two girls eyes narrowed at each other and went to opposite sides of the shed.

Silent and thinking.

0o0o0o0o0o0

"Just lay down here and it'll all be fine princess" the doctor assured. Azula obeying his orders stiffly. "Shouldn't the father be here?"

"He will be soon he's traveling here he should be here in a day or two." She answered stiff not knowing how to tell him when the moment came.

"Alright just let me take a look at this" the doctor examined in many various ways on Azula's abdomen finally resting on his decision. "Yep your defiantly pregnant" he said. Ty Lee was there as well taking the role of the absent father at the time and she began clapping as if the brighten the mood. But Azula lay unmoved. There was no turning back now. She was going to have his child. Though she had to admit it would take her some time to wrap her mind around the idea but since it was his she would have to manage.

"Congrads Azula whatcha gona name it?" Ty Lee asked gingerly.

"I don't know doctor what is the gender."

"As far as I can tell it's a girl," the doctor answered removing his gloves.

"Sakura" Azula finally settled.

"Aww isn't that where you two had your first kiss?" Ty Lee asked, and Azula just shook her head and for the first time for a while now she blushed.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"You wanna tell me what this is all about?" Katara asked. After a few hours Katara got tired of the silence in the shed so went to go straiten out things with Aang outside.

"I thought we had gotten past the whole telling each other what went on in our lives" Aang mentioned bitterly.

"Do you always do this?" Katara crossed her arms. "Do you always get angry then go off to your self for hours instead of talking it out?"

"I never had anyone to talk to" he whimpered letting his head fall. "But I haven't been having these problems until you came in, bubbling all the things I'm trying to escape back to the surface!"

"I'm just trying to help Aang! You know you might be the last hope for the world" Katara pressed.

"And how am I the last hope unless I was the avatar but he can't come back." Aang stated.

"What makes you say that?" Katara asked, taking a seat next to him.

"Well if your story about why it's always dark is true then when the spirit world was destroyed then wouldn't the avatar spirit be gone too?" crap, Katara had never thought of that then could this really be aang she was walking to? She was almost it was. It was him he had his eyes, his voice, his hair (even it the length was different), his smile, even his arrow how could he have gotten that if it wasn't him? His appearance seemed to be intact which for the first time Katara realized: she hadn't seen him in almost three years so why didn't he look older. Even by a little (he had to be almost 15)

"You know you look the same" Katara suddenly stated.

"What?"

"You look the same as when you were 12"

"I don't remember 12 just 13 and 14" he mentioned.

"That water you went in, you said before you left that it could take you through time, but I remember hearing that when you go in the age you go is..."

"The age you stay"Aang finished for her.

"Yeah" Katara breathed. "You were ready to save the world Aang I knew you were but then you just..."

"That's who your looking for isn't Katara? The avatar?" Aang asked cutting her off again. Katara just nodded with a sad smile. "Well I'm truly sorry but he can't still be here you've got the wrong guy" he slowly stood while katara cried until she let the tears flow freely. Aang began to walk but stopped when she gave out a loud sob. By then his his everey muscle was aching to go wrap his arms around this complete strnager and tell her everything was going to be fine. Why did her feel so close to here when he'd barely known her a day? And every feeling he got for her when she was in pain was open to any sort of intiment soothing.

Maybe it was puberty? (after all she was a 17- year- old woman)

No.

It was something way more deep that puerty and he intended to find out what.

**BlackRose's note: the funny thing is i was reading a interview in the avatar mag with the voice of Azula and the advice she gave was for Azula never to have children. ha! i whole heartedly agree but come on who doesn't like messin' with Azula? yeah so next chapter:** **Plight of the Prisoners**

**P.S: thank you for all the wonderful reviews. keep 'em comin**


	6. plight of the prisoners

Chapter five: plight of the prisoners **Oh my gosh I'm back from the dead! Yeah I'm just lazy, sorry. So here's a snippet of the water tribes prisoner life. **Disclaimer: I own nothing Chapter five: plight of the prisoners

The air was thick and hot, but after a while they got used to it.

"Here's ya food" the guard grumbled placing five pots of food into the chamber.

"This is all we got today dad" the 18 1/2–year-old Sokka told his father.

"Only five" Hakoda complained. When they first arrived they gave them ten pots but every couple of months it would become less and less. "they used to give us ten"

"that would be nice wouldn't it" 14-year-old toph added. "but the guards aren't stupid more and more of us keep dying in this place and the more of us die the less food we'll get until….." she trailed off feeling no reason to end her sentence, everyone knew very well what the outcome was.

They had been captured for almost three years every member of the water tribe and some new captured ones form the earth kingdom had been thrown into this dreadful prison, a little more of the prisoners withering away each year. They didn't have much time the all had to escape or else the water tribe would have the same fate as the air nomads.

Hakoda, of course, was their humble leader but he was becoming sick as well so Sokka began to take on the roll more and more. With the other commander, generals and such from the earth kingdom to help. But was it enough?

"Hakoda the children are becoming sick as well what should we do?"

"Toph" Hakoda acknowledged. "see what you can do for the children in the right corridor of the prison. It was a rather big prison- bigger than most- but seemed to, still, be too small for all the people even with most now dead. Toph on the other hand had taking a doctor type roll to the group since Katara left. With her bending gone, she couldn't see at all. At first she just felt helpless and scared for perhaps the first time in years but with her sense of "sight" gone she now had the most acute hearing. She could tell so well now when people were sick just by breathing patterns and sounds of the inner bodies. Although there was little she really could do for the older members she could at least tell the few water bending healers left what need to be done.

"Try and stand still" Toph instructed one of the younger ones- he was trembling fiercely- she was trying to map out his body the best she could with her acute sense of hearing but when he was moving around like that it was hard to tell. Sokka smiled fondly at the healer. She had grown so much. She was always a little tough one but ever since the imprisonment it showed a kinder more sensitive side of Toph. One Sokka really couldn't ignore.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"hey what do you think your doing?" Nana asked Katara as the teen packed away all her belongings.

"I really don't think it's any of your business" Katara responded dryly. Nana rolled her eyes sensing that Katara was still sour about the conversation they had had that morning. Just then Aang entered the shed with an arm full of food when the packing water witch caught his eye.

"hey what are you doing Katara?" he asked. Nana rolled her eyes once more at the fact that she had just asked that question. Katara sighed and stopped packing for a moment.

"I'm leaving" she said simply.

"w-what?" Aang objected. "Katara you just can't leave like-"

"oh yes she can daddy" Nana jumped in. "you said she had one day to explain all of this, so she explained it and well times up!" she was rather cheerful.

"well what if I said I've changed my mind and I want you to come with us?" Aang justified. Katara's brow raised and let her unpacked clothes she was holding drop.

"y-you want me to stay?" she asked quietly.

"well uh…yeah" Aang blushed madly trying hard not to meet her gaze.

"well …thank you Aang I didn't think you-"

"well I do" Aang blurted as if he knew what she was going to say. Katara smiled at the flushed boy. _Maybe he is Aang,_ she thought again but then sighed. This was becoming an old internal argument and wished she'd just make up her mind. But he seemed so unstable he had highs and lows that were very difficult to map out. But now that he wanted her to stay she would maybe get the chance to find out what was causing them, or at least what they were about. " I just really don't want you to leave that's all" Katara's smile only widened which for a strange reason made the room very hot for Aang.

"what the heck is wrong with me?" Aang asked himself under his breath. He knew what this feeling was it was right under his tongue but for reason he couldn't think of the word. He quickly shook his head, though, he knew he shouldn't be having such feelings of _any _kind about _any_ girl. _I have a girlfriend, I have a girl friend,_ he would tell himself.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"so what's this all about?" a general asked. They where having another "leaders meeting" as they would call it where they all discussed the weeks events and new escape plans.

"well the younger ones are starting to complain about not getting enough food so the older ones of our group are giving then their share. I'm afraid to say but if we don't get some more food we might lose some more of our older members." Every simply nodded. After hearing the same news, the same fate, being heard over and over they were used to the tragic fact.

"so we'll beg the guards for some more food, they'll laugh and refuse and more people will die, la de da" Toph spewed. She was becoming rather sick by this whole situation. Not that this was new news either. She quickly stood and went toward the wall were some more of the sick children moaned in pain.

"I'll talk to her" Sokka sighed. Usually it was best to leave Toph alone at a time like this but this was getting far to old. "toph" Sokka addressed.

"shhh, it's okay" toph assured the kids softly in a voice of sympathy, though in the back round of her voice she sounded annoyed. She suddenly turned when hearing sokka's voice. "what?" she asked bitterly.

"toph this has gone on long enough" Sokka stated. "I know it's hard right now but we have to-"

"stand strong, get through this together, stop acting like your twelve again I know the drill Sokka okay, just leave me alone!" she turned back toward the moaning children. Sokka sighed.

"your wish is my command" he whispered and walked away.

Whew that actually turned out longer than I thought it would. But I don't like this chapter at all, promise the next one is were all the drama starts, and we find out who Azula's babies father is and who Aang's so called girlfriend is. Next chapter: In Open Arms


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